Just Fantasy Hockey: Week 9 Forecaster

Nov 23rd-29th

We enter week 9 slowly approaching the halfway point in most fantasy leagues. This week is the busiest week of the NHL schedule with more teams playing 4 games then 3. Moreover, most of the action occurs Monday through Saturday which means most of your guys will be playing on the same night. So playing your match ups this week is the key to success.

Let’s check out the week ahead.

4 Game Week: Anaheim, Boston, Calgary, Carolina, Colorado, Columbus, Dallas, Detroit, Edmonton, Florida, Nashville, New York Islanders, New York Rangers, Ottawa, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, St. Louis.

3 Game Week: Atlanta, Buffalo, Chicago, Los Angeles, Minnesota, Montreal, New Jersey, San Jose, Tampa Bay, Toronto, Vancouver, Washington.

Teams to Watch:

Anaheim: Calgary, Carolina, Chicago, Phoenix

The Ducks are the only team playing all 4 games at home. While that is a good thing for the Ducks offense it is quite the opposite for their defence. Anaheim sits dead last in GAA at home with a GAA of 3.50

Fantasy Spin: Hiller is struggling and will be pressed on home ice. There are better fantasy options in net this week. Getzlaf, Perry and Ryan are solid plays in any fantasy format.

Colorado: Philadelphia, Nashville, @Minnesota, Minnesota

Daily leagues are all about maximizing your match ups and here is your best chance. Great week for your Avs as Philadelphia is in the midst of a 5 game road trip, Nashville has the worst offence in the NHL, and they finish off the week with a home and home series against the League's 5^th worst offence.

Fantasy Spin: Anderson should get 3 of the four starts and is a must play this week.

New York Islanders: @Toronto, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, @ New Jersey

The Islanders surprisingly have a favourable match up defensively and could offer some solid numbers this week. The Isle’s enter the week as the 4^th best defensive team at home allowing just over 2 goals against in their 9 games so far this season. With two homes games against Toronto and New Jersey, who are both in the bottom half of league scoring, the Islanders could put up strong numbers.

Fantasy Spin: Look for Roloson and Biron to split the starts in the upcoming week.

Pittsburgh: @Florida, Montreal, @New York Islanders, New York Rangers.

Be careful playing your Penguins this week because they are facing some pretty hot teams. In addition, the Penguins surprisingly have the 13^th ranked offense and have been struggling of late. Finally, the Pittsburgh blue line is banged up right now with Letang and Goligoski out, while Orpik and Gonchar just got back into the line up.

Fantasy Spin: Fleury has just 2 wins in his last 6 starts with a GAA and SV% of 3.32 and .885 respectively. There are better options in a busy week. Crosby and Malkin are good but not as strong plays when looking at the choices owners have in the up coming week.

Brian

Just Fantasy Hockey - Injury Update

Evgeni Malkin (C) Shoulder strain – Out 2-3 Weeks
Fantasy Spin: With Malkin out the Penguins will lean more heavily on Sidney Crosby. Look for Jordan Staal to be promoted to the second line and play a bigger role on the powerplay as well. Depth players such as Kunitz and Guerin will also benefit from Malkins absence.

Valtteri Filppula (C) Broken wrist – Out 6-8 Weeks
Fantasy Spin: With a lack of scoring depth on the Wings already, losing Filppula is yet another blow to the struggling team. Depth players suck as Bertuzzi and Cleary will have no choice now but to find their game as it is almost assured that Zetterberg and Datsyuk will have to be split up to get everyone’s games going.

Roberto Luongo (G) Hairline rib fracture – Out 1 week
Fantasy Spin: The Canucks will now look at under achieving Andrew Raycroft as a their main man between the pipes. Raycroft has already proven over the years that he is incapable of being a teams staring goalie. If he struggles, look for the Canucks to play Cory Schneider who has posted 6 wins in 9 games in the AHL.

Mark

Players to Watch - Week 5

Michael Grabner (RW) – Vancouver
With 5 points in 6 games, he has been seeing time on the top 2 lines.


Alex Goligoski (D) – Pittsburgh
With Gonchar on the mend, Goligoski has been promoted to the #1 powerplay unit.

James Wright (C) – Tampa Bay
Tampa will decide to keep Wright or send him down this week. He has been playing on the top line.

Wayne Simmonds (RW) – Los Angeles
Simmonds has 4 points in his last 5 games and is a +5. Gritty 3rd liner that is may help in a deep league.

David Perron (LW) – St. Louis
Perron has been given the opportunity to climb the depth chart and time on the 2nd powerplay.

Eric Belanger (C) – Minnesota – 0G – 1A – 1PTS

Dustin Penner (RW) – Edmonton – 3G – 3A – 6PTS

Matt Moulson (LW) – NY Islanders – 1G – 0A – 1PTS

Clarke McArthur (LW) – Buffalo – 0G – 0A – 0PTS

Matt Carle (D) – Philadelphia – 0G – 1A – 1 PTS

Mark

Just Fantasy Hockey - Week 4 Goalie Report

Hot

Tim Thomas: After allowing 6 goals against the Ducks and sitting the next two games, he came back and shut out the Stars in Dallas. Posting a very respectable 2.00 GAA and .935 SV% and 1 shut out over the last 7 days gives Thomas a nod on the hot list this week.

Pascal Leclaire: With two starts and two wins later, we are seeing what a healthy Leclair can do in a good week. Allowing just one goal in each of his contests against the Habs and Lightning, and posting a stellar .956 SV%, a healthy Leclaire remains a must start in any fantasy format.

Marc-Andre Fleury: The hottest team and the hottest goalie go hand in hand. Fleury keeps on rolling with strong performances last week, making big saves when he was called upon. Winning both his starts and posting a 1.00 and .957 GAA and SV% respectively makes Fleury the top net minder this week.

Cold

Dwayne Roloson: It’s hard to fault anyone playing between the pipes for the Islanders this year. Getting pulled halfway through a game after allowing 4 goals on 12 shots deserves to be on the cold side. Roloson will get a few wins since the Islanders are an improving team, but should suffer in the GAA and SV% categories. Avoid him if you can.

Jonas Hiller: Although he played well in his last outing, stopping 34 of the 37 shots, Hiller struggled by allowing 3 goals on 12 shots. With a 4.26 GAA and .878 SV%, he finished the week with no wins on 2 stars. Look for Hiller to continue to get starts as J.S Giguere is currently out due to injury and Hiller will still get time in net to correct his course.

Carey Price: After allowing 3 goals against the Avalanche on 23 shots and 3 goals against the offensively challenged Senators, Halak got the call to start. He played tremendously allowing just a single goal. Price’s cold week could have triggered a tandem situation in Montreal, keep Price on a short leash for now.

Other mentionables: Craig Anderson and Ilya Bryzgalov continue on the upward rise. They continue to play at a high level each night and are rewarding their owners with amazing stats. Keep riding their streak until they shows signs of faultering.

Brian

Players to Watch - Week 3

Patric Hornqvist (RW) – Nashville
Has 4 points in 3 games and playing on the top 2 lines.



Jordan Staal (C) – Pittsburgh
Playing with Malkin helps his fantasy value.

Daniel Cleary (LW) – Detroit
Moving to the top line with the Franzen injury.

Ryan Malone (LW) - Tampa
Coming off a hat-trick against Carolina, playing top 6 minutes.

Steve Bernier (RW) – Vancouver
With D Sedin out, he will get a chance to play on the top line.

Week 2 Results

James Neal (LW) – Dallas - 1G – 1A – 2PTS

Dustin Byfuglien (RW) – Chicago - 0G – 0A – 0PTS

Yannick Weber (D) – Montreal - 0G – 0A – 0PTS

David Moss (LW) – Calgary - 0G – 0A – 0PTS

Mike Comrie (C) – Edmonton - 2G – 1A – 3PTS

Mark

Just Fantasy Hockey - Week 2 Forecaster

For leagues which allow weekly roster moves it’s important to maximize each roster spot. With every team playing on Saturday followed by a rest day, there are higher amount of teams only playing 2 games this week. Colorado, Detroit, Boston, Nashville, Chicago, Buffalo, Florida, Toronto, St. Louis, New York Islanders and Atlanta players will only see ice twice. Conversely, Anaheim will suit up 4 times next week. So take that into consideration when making your roster moves for the week.
Key Match ups

October 6th

Washington at Philadelphia

The two Eastern conference powerhouses meet up for the first time and will be an early test for both undefeated teams. Emery has a hold on the starting job in Philly but will have the first real test since returning to the NHL; where as in Washington, Theodore and Varlamov have split the first two games this year. Look for Theodore to get the start as his solid game against the Bruins has increased his value. Regardless of who wins this affair, it should be a high-scoring game.

October 7th

Montreal at Vancouver

Montreal is coming off two overtime wins in week 1 against Toronto and Buffalo while Vancouver remains winless in its’ first two games. Montreal overhauled practically their entire team in the off-season, while Vancouver locked up their three most important assets to long term contracts. With Montreal’s infirmary filling up with blue-liners, the Canadiens will continue to look at Carey Price to carry the load. Outshot in their previous two contests, Price looks rejuvenated and primed for a good season. Luongo on the other hand has not looked solid in his first two starts and will be looking to rebound against the Habs. Expect a tight, low scoring hockey game.

October 8th

Pittsburgh at Philadelphia

Emery owners should know that what they really own after Ovechkin, Semin, Backstrom, Crosby and Malkin visit this week. These two Atlantic division foes have no love loss between them and should end up finishing 1-2 this year in their division. Pittsburgh won four of the six games last year, one by shoot out, another by an overtime win. This is the ultimate test for Philadelphia, as the basis of the Chris Pronger trade was to help them contend with the likes of Pittsburgh and Washington. This will be a hard fought game one of a division series that should turn into a war by the end.

Chicago at Detroit

Both of these teams are returning from their respectful trips to Europe. The Black Hawks are in the Motor City for the first time since their defeat in the Western Conference Finals. An injured Marion Hossa removes some of the intrigue to this game, while Patrick Kane remains eager to continue his early scoring ways. A winless Detroit should be nothing to worry about, for now. Struggling to get their offense going in Europe, the Wings should come alive on their home ice. With both teams having question marks in goal, this should be an offensive showdown...start all your Hawks and Wings.

October 10th

Washington at Detroit

There is a real possibility of Detroit starting the season winless in their first four games. The big question, however, is who will be starting in goal for the Red Wings. Chris Osgood remains the number one goaltender in Detroit as Jimmy Howard’s play in Sweden was less than average. Coach Babcock was critical of Howards play during the pre-season. Look for Howard to split time with Osgood but be on a very short leash. Talented rookie Ville Leino continues to impress with limited amounts of ice-time. Look for his ice-time to increase in the weeks ahead if he keeps on producing.

Brian

Just Fantasy Hockey - Weekend Forecaster

Thursday October 1st

Washington at Boston
These two teams finished 1-2 in the East last year. While Boston lost only 6 games at home in 2008-2009, one of them was to the Capitals. The only other time these two teams met last year, Boston won in overtime. It will be an early test for both Thomas and Theodore/Varlamov, as both high-powered offences should come out swinging.

San Jose at Colorado
Colorado’s only highlight may be when Joe Sakic’s number is raised to the rafters. Look for San Jose to come out firing as they try to erase the memory of last year’s early playoff exit. San Jose won all four meetings vs Colorado last year. You might want to rest Budaj if you have him in your league.

Friday October 2nd

Philadelphia at Carolina
Ray Emery and Chris Pronger make their Flyers’ debut as Philadelphia tries to improve on last years’ 99 point season. Last season, three out of the four games between these two teams went to overtime, however the Flyers took both games at the RBC Center. Look for Pronger to make a statement in his first game with the Orange and Black.

Saturday October 3rd

Pittsburgh at New York Islanders
If you own an Islander goaltender, you should bench them for this game. Week 1 of most fantasy leagues will run for ten days instead of the typical 7 and you should have ample opportunities to get your starts in later in the week. Islanders had the third worst GAA last year, and when you factor in Malkin, Crosby and company, you have a perfect storm. Start all your Penguins as this could get ugly.

San Jose at Anaheim
San Jose will love to get an early crack at Anaheim after the Ducks upset the President trophy winners last year in the first round of the playoffs. For those owners who have Nabakov this should be a good preview on what to expect. This should be a tight-checking game and a great goaltending battle between Hiller and Nabby.

Brian

Pre-Season Rookie Watch

Toronto - Tyler Bozak (C) – The 23 year old played his first game for the blue and white and used every opportunity to make his point to coach Wilson to stay with the big club. With 17:28 minutes of ice-time, Bozak tallied a short-handed goal and had two other shots on net. He was involved in many offensive opportunities and looked like a seasoned sniper.

Philadelphia – James Van Reimsdyk (LW) – Another older rookie has looked quite impressive in his two games so far this pre-season. Van Reimsdyk scored the lone goal against Detroit, with 2 shots on goal and 14:36 minutes of icetime and lit the lamp in the Taverse City rookie tournament. Keep an eye on him as he should be on the Flyers opening night roster.

NY Islanders – John Tavares (C) – The #1 overall draft choice took to the ice for his pre-season action against the Oilers. Finishing a -1 on the night, Tavares skated for a whopping 22:50 minutes and was second on the team in total ice-time.

Pittsburgh – Eric Tangradi (C) – Playing in his first NHL tilt, the rookie got to play shotgun with Sidney Crosby. In 14:31 minutes of ice-time, Tangradi had 2 shots on net and assisted twice on goals by Crosby. Keep an eye on Tangradi, if he is able to make the team he may find himself of a line with Crosby or Malkin, he is that skilled.

Ottawa – Erik Karlsson (D) – The highly touted prospect has finally made his way to the NHL. Playing in his first game, Karlsson had 7 shots on net and 20:44 minutes of ice-time. Not bad for his first game and defiantly worth taking a look at in deeper leagues.

Phoenix – Kevin Porter (C) – The unknown Porter has been on fire in his first two pre-season games for the Coyotes. Porter netted 3 assists against a split-squad Kings team and skated for 21:15 minutes and assisted on the Coyotes lone goal against Anaheim with 21:26 minutes of ice-time. Keep an eye on him as he could fall into sleep category soon.

Mark

Atlantic Division Sleepers

New Jersey – Travis Zajac (C) – The time has come for the 31 year old to take his game to the next level. Zajac has the ability to play as the top pivot in New Jersey and playing with Parise will help anyone’s stats. With 62 points in 82 games last season, Zajac may have hit a ceiling with his point total as coach Lemaire likes to play a defense first style of play.

FEARLESS FORECAST – 82 GP – 20 G – 45 A – 65 PTS

NY Islanders – Josh Bailey (C) – The speedy playmaker came into the league and had a period of adjustment to the tempo of the game. At 19 years old, Bailey should quickly become a fan favourite in Long Island and definitely improve on his 25 points in 68 games.

FEARLESS FORCAST – 73 GP – 16 G – 25 A – 41 PTS

NY Rangers – Ryan Callahan (RW) – With his signature on a new contract, Callahan will once again be called upon to play a big role in New York. A favourite down the stretch for coach Tortarella, Callahan saw time on the top lines and created space for his teammates. Callahan should improve on his 40 points in 81 from last season.

FEARLESS FORECAST – 82 GP – 25 G – 21 A – 46 PTS

Philadelphia – Claude Giroux (RW) – The playoffs were a coming out party for young Giroux. Arguably the best player for the Flyers last spring, Giroux has risen up the depth charts with the loss of Knuble and Lupul. With 27 points in 42 games, Giroux offers the ability to play wing and center, making him useful in all situations. Giroux is poised to double his stats from last season on a very good Flyers team.

FEARLESS FORECAST – 80 GP – 30 G – 35 A – 65 PTS

Pittsburgh – Kris Letang (D) – After winning the Stanley Cup, the Penguins were unable to re-sign some of their depth defensemen. Letang is a young d-man that has produced at every level and will now be looked at for a more offensive role from the back-end. Letang scored 33 points in 74 games and should have no problem adding some more points to that this season.

FEARLESS FORECAST – 76 GP – 12 G – 24 A – 36 PTS

Mark

Returning to the Colony

The Pittsburgh penguins have resigned winger Ruslan Fedotenko to a 1 year, $1.8 Million Dollar contract.

Fedotenko was a valuable depth player down the stretch run and into the playoffs for the Penguins. He has the ability to play as a top 6 forward but never puts up the points to prove it. Fedotenko has only once broke the 40 point mark in a season.

Fantasy Outlook: Regardless of who Fedotenko lines-up with in Pittsburgh, he will never reward you as a fantasy owner. He should be considered as a depth player in all formats and picked up on waivers as an injury replacement.

Mark

Billy and the Kid

Bill Guerin has agreed to a 1-year deal with the Penguins. 

Fantasy outlook: Guerin proved he still has some pop as he meshed well with Sidney Crosby down the stretch and during the Pens'  victorious playoff march. In a total of 41 games with Pittsburgh (Regular Season and Playoffs), he scored 12 Goals and 15 Assists for 27 points. 

While his goals have declined in each of the past two seasons, the 38 yo should continue his youth revival flanking Crosby/Malkin for parts of next season. Expect him to finish with around 45 points and have numerous hot and cold streaks throughout the year. Draft Guerin as a reliable vet in the later rounds, but be careful not to overrate him due to a decent playoff. Consider that his "inflated" stat totals with the Penguins still only add up to 54 points over a full season (pro-rated).

Chris

March of the Penguins

The Stanley Cup champions faced a lot of adversity this season. They lost their powerplay quarterback for the majority of the season, fired their head coach midseason, brought in new faces at the trade deadline and were never favored in the playoffs. All of these seemingly negative experiences proved to be the reason why the Penguins were so successful this season. They were able to come together as a team and excel when they needed to the most. Expect Pittsburgh to be flying next season as they try and defend their championship.

Evgeni Malkin – The Art Ross, Conn Smyth and Stanley Cup champion was brilliant the entire season. He led his team when Crosby was injured and came through in the playoffs when it counted most. Malkin could very well go number one in any draft as he is as good as Crosby and Ovechkin.

Sidney Crosby – Capturing the Stanley Cup in his fourth year of play and to be the youngest captain to ever win the cup is an amazing feat. You cannot lose with Crosby on your team as he has tremendous heart and skill. The top choices in the majority of drafts, you can’t lose of the caliber of talent he possesses.

Chris Kunitz – Coming over in a trade from Anaheim, Kunitz fit in nicely playing on the top line. He may not be among the scoring leaders in the league but Kunitz will be able to compliment the top lines in Pittsburgh well. He should be over the 60 point mark next season and should be considered a keeper at this point. Draft him in early mid-rounds as his potential in unknown at this point.

Jordan Staal – With his new 4 year contract kicking in next season, Staal looks to be in Pittsburgh for the long haul. He has many talents and is used primarily on the third line and in short handed situations. With 49 points in 82 games, it appears he has reached his points potential. Staal has minimal fantasy value as he will never be a heavy point producer but looked at as a role player.

Bill Guerin – After being traded from the lowly Islanders at the deadline, Guerin immediately impacted the Penguins and added experience and leadership that was needed for them to win the Cup. With 2 Stanley Cups to his name, Guerin has a big choice in the offseason, retire at the top of his game or come back for another kick at the can. Owners should not dismiss him yet. If Guerin signs with the Penguins he will have a lot of fantasy value playing on the top line, draft him accordingly.

Petr Sykora – At 31 years of age, it seems Sykora has been around forever. Scratched for the majority of the playoffs will not help his value as a UFA this offseason. Look for Sykora to move on from Pittsburgh and possibly end up playing in Europe. He should have no keeper value at this point and should only be drafted for depth if he does play in the NHL next season.

Kris Letang – Points can be deceptive as Letang was looked upon to run the powerplay when Gonchar went down for the majority of the season. Scoring 33 points in 74 games, Letang really upped his game in the playoffs. He will be given a bigger role next season as he has shown he can compete at the NHL level. Draft him as an up and comer and you won’t be disappointed.

Miroslav Satan – The end is near for Satan. Signed in the off season to play wing on the top two lines, Satan ended the season in the minors and only factored into a few playoff games. A UFA this offseason, he may not get the money or teams willing to invest in the underachiever. Look for him to be playing overseas now that he has won the cup.

Sergei Gonchar – With a major shoulder injury sidelining the star for the most of the season, Gonchar was able to come back and make an immediate impact on the blueline. With 19 points in 25 games, he anchored the powerplay and provided leadership during the Penguins surge into the playoffs. One of the top dmen in the league, he should be drafted accordingly as he will always be on the top of the league in defensive points.

Marc-Andre Fleury – The progression of Fleury’s talent has been right on queue. A gifted butterfly goaltender, Fleury has excelled playing in Pittsburgh and their high powered offensive system. Owners should hold on to Fleury as he should always put up winning seasons playing on a team with the top offensive talents in the league. Draft Fleury with the likes of Lundqvist, Nabokov, Brodeur etc, as he is looked at as the top goaltender for his team and will get you points.

Mark